1. Field of the Invention
The instant invention relates generally to head and neck, and lower back cushions and more specifically it relates to a hydromassage pillow.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Numerous head and neck, and lower back cushions have been provided in prior art. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,277,859 to Seaman; U.S. Pat. No. 4,887,326 to O'Brien et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 5,184,365 to Stafford and U.S. Pat. No. 525,429 to Genis all are illustrative of such prior art. While these units may be suitable for the particular purpose to which they address, they would not be as suitable for the purposes of the present invention as heretofore described.
A traveling pillow is described including an inner rubber inflatable pillow, an intermediate fiber-filled case for the pillow, and an exterior slip cover having a carrying handle. The carrying handle is provided with a compartment for storage of a small pneumatic pump for the inflatable pillow. A compact carrying case is also provided to store and carry the pillow in a deflated rolled-up form.
A suboccipital pillow for applying hot and/or cold treatments to the neck and suboccipital areas is provided, having a generally crescent shape. One side is fitted with a lightly insulated pocket. The other side is fitted with a heavily insulated pocket. The pillow is filled with a soft cushion, such as a polyester fiber batting. Both pockets have triangular tongues attached to their open sides. The tongues overlap and attach one to the other via a suitable fastener. A crescent shaped gel pack is provided which may either be cooled in a refrigerator or freezer or heated in boiling water or in a microwave over. After the gel pack has reached the desired temperature, it is inserted in the appropriate pocket. The pocket is closed by overlapping and fastening the two tongues.
A positioning system provides for airway management of a supine subject. A number of bags are provided for supporting the head and lower neck/upper shoulders area of the subject. Once the bags are positioned under the subject, each bag is pressurized using a pressurized fluid source which is controlled by a mechanical controller. The mechanical controller comprises a number of mechanical switches for regulating the pressure in each bag. By manipulating the mechanical switches, the pressure in each bag is adjusted to align the subject's head and lower neck/upper shoulders area such that the mouth, pharynx and trachea are linearly aligned.
A therapeutic rest is disclosed having a first pillow composed of a soft tufted cover filled with a cushion material. A second pillow composed of a soft flexible material is intended to be filled with a liquid of suitable temperature. A removable valve is incorporated into the second pillow for introducing the liquid into and out of the second pillow. The first and second pillows are of a U-shaped configuration. Releasable retainers are carried on opposing exterior surfaces of the pillows to permit attachment of the pillows when the pillows are in aligned U-shaped configuration.